09 April,2024 11:05 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Children from Dawoodi Bohra community greet each other ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr festival during the holy month of Ramzan, in Surat on Tuesday, April 9. Pic/PTI
Eid ul-Fitr is an Islamic festival that marks the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting when Muslims fast from dawn to dusk each day. It is the first time Muslims can eat during daylight hours after fasting during Ramadan. The translation of "Eid ul-Fitr" from Arabic sums up the holiday as it means "festival of breaking the fast."
Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated during the first three days of Shawwal, which is the tenth month in the Muslim (lunar) calendar. This means that the timing of Eid ul-Fitr (and Ramadan) is different every year as it is based on the lunar cycle. It does not begin until the new moon is seen, which means it starts at different times for different Muslims around the world. However, some Muslims choose to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr when the new moon first appears over Mecca instead of their own locations.
For 2024, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar have declared that Eid will be celebrated on April 10. The crescent moon was not spotted in Delhi, Hyderabad, and Lucknow. Hence, Eid celebrations will be held on April 11. Several cities in India confirmed the moonsighting on April 9, which means that Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated in those areas on April 10.
Muslims around the world perform communal prayer at daybreak on the first day of Eid ul-Fitr, after cleansing themselves and donning new clothes. They then continue to celebrate for three days. A common greeting during Eid ul-Fitr is "Eid Mubarak," which means "Blessed Eid." This greeting is used to wish other Muslims well during Eid.
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These celebrations during Eid ul-Fitr vary from country to country but include visiting family and friends, giving presents, enjoying feasts, wearing new clothes, and visiting the graves of relatives. Through these celebrations, Muslims show their gratitude to Allah after reflecting and fasting during Ramadan.
This holiday is also a reminder for Muslims to be grateful for what they have as well as to help the less fortunate.
